Microsoft: Is their silence hurting them?

With Sony holding a live global event back in February that announced the PS4 and their plans for it, consumers and developers alike got a chance to get excited and build hype before May’s mega-event E3. Not only announcing it, but showing the controller and several games that are currently in the works, Sony managed to come out of the gate swinging and build momentum in their favor. Now almost a month, and two tradeshows (GDC and PAX East) later, no one has heard anything from Microsoft in regards to the next generation of consoles. Is Microsoft doing itself any favors by being quiet?

With the Xbox 360 releasing in 2005, and the PlayStation 3 releasing almost a full year later in 2006, Microsoft was able to take the opportunity of a head start to gain momentum and sell consoles. When Sony announced the PlayStation 3, many people were turned off of the system because of the console launch price ($599 for the 60GB model), and of the perceived arrogance of Sony. The PlayStation 2 had finished the previous console generation easily on top, and a lot of people felt Sony held the position of “We are going to do what we feel like, and too bad if you don’t like it.” The year head start, the functioning online community, plus the humble display that Microsoft had helped put the Xbox 360 in a good position, a position many people feel is above the PS3.

Flash forward to this year, and it appears Sony has taken notes this last generation. Doing away with the Cell Processor, which was notoriously hard to program for, and having more open and developer-friendly hardware and mindset, Sony is really turning heads. Common perception is that developers and Sony are establishing an avenue of good open communication. It seems Sony is going out of its way to play nice with all developers, from independent studios to mega studios.

Microsoft on the other hand is nowhere to be seen. Granted they are still present at the shows, but there is little too no buzz for them at the moment. Some independent developers are openly frustrated with Microsoft because it is April and they have yet to see a dev kit. It is possible that Microsoft is working more exclusively with large developers than with smaller, independent studios. It is well known that they have a strained relationship with some smaller developers due to certification costs and other obstacles. Sony knows this and appears to be taking full advantage of that issue.

There is much speculation that Microsoft will announce its next console in the weeks before E3 and then have a lot more info at E3, but is the damage already done? Some people feel like Microsoft is repeating the mistakes Sony made with the PS3. Has Microsoft’s success gone to its head? This E3 and the weeks leading up to it are guaranteed to be exciting. Will Microsoft burst out of the gates and give Sony a run for its money, or has the damage been done and Sony will reclaim its spot on top? Stay with us here at Gamers Association for info and opinions on what is certain to be an interesting couple of months.

I don't think the silence is doing anything to them. When they do reveal, that's when consumers will actually have something to see. And it's not like the 720 will launch a year after ps4 or anything remotely like that, and I don't think the damage has been done from their decisions thus far. There is still plenty of time until launch to convince consumers otherwise. Besides the always online fiasco, the only way to alienate their base would be to overprice the machine, which I doubt either side will do. Will be interesting to see.

I don't think the silence is doing anything to them. When they do reveal, that's when consumers will actually have something to see. And it's not like the 720 will launch a year after ps4 or anything remotely like that, and I don't think the damage has been done from their decisions thus far. There is still plenty of time until launch to convince consumers otherwise. Besides the always online fiasco, the only way to alienate their base would be to overprice the machine, which I doubt either side will do. Will be interesting to see.

Yeah I agree with you there. The always online rumor is the only thing I see hurting them right now.

I bet only a fraction of 1% of consumers were put off by Sony's "perceived arrogance". That's for people to crow about on internet forums, the general public don't care.

Microsoft's silence isn't doing them any favours with the dialled in core crowd at the moment but come launch only 3 things ever matter to the other 99%

1. Price
2. When's it coming out?
3. What is everyone else getting?*

Obviously the third on that list is affected by a lot of things. Not least by the spotty nerds selling them. When Debbie walks into Gamestop to buy her son a new console for christmas, she asks the handsome young sales guy, which one's the best?

So basically to answer the question, no, their silence is not hurting them now. There's plenty of time til November. But their decisions may well do.

I think it's more "What are my friends getting". People want to play with their friends and if their friends have Xbox's they will get the next Xbox and if they have a PS they'll get a PS4. If you have real life friends that you game with on a regular basis and you want to continue gaming with them you'll need to have the same system. That is unless you can get everyone to switch.

I don't have any real life friends that I game with due to my age but if I did, I would rather get a console that I could play with them on, even if that console is inferior to the other console.

Like with E3, Sony likes to announce their upcoming games before the conference and Microsoft likes to wait until the conference. There's always a period before E3 where everyone is worrying (or talking trash) about Microsoft, but Microsoft simply keeps the announcements close to their chest until E3.

So I would wait another two months before judging Microsoft's situation.

Like with E3, Sony likes to announce their upcoming games before the conference and Microsoft likes to wait until the conference. There's always a period before E3 where everyone is worrying (or talking trash) about Microsoft, but Microsoft simply keeps the announcements close to their chest until E3.

So I would wait another two months before judging Microsoft's situation.

Yep. MS seems to be doing the same thing they did with the xbox360. It was revealed in May 2005 so it looks like the same will happen this time. They are keeping everything close. I think it's smart and will pay off.

It's hard to say but we will never really know if it is or isn't. Sony announced first, and as of right now, PS4 is the only next gen console people are talking about. For two months people have had time to let the feb meeting settle in and most have made their minds up about Sony's offerings one way or another.

While people have been talking positively about the PS4, the rumors that have been fueling 720 discussion have all been pretty negative and the recent Twittergate scandal didn't help things. However, as that old Atari guy said, MS "has a lof of money to defend it" so I'm sure come E3 or sooner, when MS reveals it's new Xbox eco-system with all its everything-talks-to-everything tricks the world will be all wide eyed and star struck.

I don't think these will factor into anything as the battle between consoles is becoming a lot more refined with each gen and it will be more about features, content and price this gen than who announced/launches first. Sony's strategy ith PS4 is almost flawless if games are your priority. The tech to the devs to streamlined internal prceedures...everything is geared to be 100% about the games and with a dozen exclsuives this year, Sony shows no sign of having slowed down moving into next gen, quite the opposite. MS can't afford to be about anything less if they want to regain the trust of mayn who have critisied the lack of exclsuive games for the 360.

However, the above only rings true for the hobbyist gamers, like us, who follow the industry so closely. For Joe Smith it will come down to advertising and social trends I guess. I think 720 will probably outsell PS4 this gen because its multi-purpose offerings appeal to more people, as it does this gen.

not hurting them but not helping ten either. it all comes down to whatever they show on E3. if they show something awesome, then people will forget the silence. if they end up showing something bad, then the negativity will likely multiple because of the silence.

People are also interested in the unknown, which is why announcing the PS4 so early has its drawbacks.

Thats really what it is. Not sure what happened to Sony's theory about letting your competition announce first but whatever. If MS has an impressive show the silence can actually work for them but if they dont then all that silence that we have been observing will just add extra damage to their mindshare.

Thats really what it is. Not sure what happened to Sony's theory about letting your competition announce first but whatever. If MS has an impressive show the silence can actually work for them but if they dont then all that silence that we have been observing will just add extra damage to their mindshare.

Yeah, if MS shows up and explains some awesome new features and game selection, the silence and negative attention won't matter. But I agree, if they don't, all the silence hurts them and shows they weren't really ready.

But yeah, it's much more interesting to talk about the unknowns of next gen, rather than X developer to say they like developing for the PS4, lol. Controversy stirs more conversation.

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